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Blog · WebJi® India
E-commerce Website Cost in India (2026)
Quick answer
An e-commerce website in India costs about ₹4,000 in year one if you build it yourself on WooCommerce (WebJi® hosting ₹3,000 plus a ₹1,000 .in domain), ₹17,988 a year on Shopify Basic, or ₹1,50,000–₹5,00,000 for a professionally built store. Payment gateway fees are charged on every sale on top.
For Indian sellers, D2C founders and shop owners budgeting their first online store, from DIY WooCommerce to a full studio build.
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- Read time
- 5 min
- Sections
- 7
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
How much does an e-commerce website cost in India by build route?
An e-commerce website in India costs about ₹4,000 in year one if you build it yourself on WooCommerce, around ₹18,000 a year in Shopify Basic fees, or ₹1,50,000–₹5,00,000 for a professionally built store. Hosting and the domain are small lines; design, catalogue work and payment integration decide where your total lands.
| Route | Year-one cost | What you get | What stays your job |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY WooCommerce | ₹4,000 (WordPress Unlimited ₹3,000 + .in ₹1,000) | Software, hosting, SSL | Design, products, gateway, shipping, updates |
| Shopify Basic[1] | ₹17,988 (₹1,499 × 12, billed yearly) + domain | Hosting, admin, checkout | Theme, apps, gateway, per-sale fee |
| WebJi® store build | ₹1,50,000–₹5,00,000 indicative, plus hosting | Design, catalogue, UPI/card/COD checkout, shipping rules, GST invoices, test orders | Product photos and descriptions |
| Enterprise custom | Quoted per project | ERP or CRM sync, multi-warehouse stock, headless front end | A developer on retainer |
The gap between ₹4,000 and ₹1,50,000 is labour, not software: catalogue structure, tested payments, courier rules and a handover. A WebJi® build takes two to four weeks and is quoted in INR before work starts.
What do hosting, domain and SSL cost for an Indian store?
For a WooCommerce store at WebJi®, hosting runs ₹3,000–₹4,200 a year, a .in domain ₹1,000 a year and SSL is included, all before 18% GST. Festive-sale traffic is the point where hosting becomes a significant line.
| Item | Monthly | 1 year | 3 years* | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress Unlimited | ₹400 | ₹3,000 | ₹8,100 | Small catalogue plus a blog |
| WordPress Unlimited+ | ₹500 | ₹4,200 | ₹11,340 | Growing store with daily orders |
| Cloud Entry (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM) | ₹5,900 | Monthly | Festive sales and large catalogues | |
| .in domain | — | ₹1,000 | ₹3,000 | Indian sellers |
| .com domain | — | ₹1,380 | ₹4,340 | Sellers with buyers abroad |
The three-year domain figures are planning estimates (first year plus two renewals, e.g. .com ₹1,380 + ₹1,480 + ₹1,480), not a prepaid multi-year price; checkout confirms the actual total. When a store outgrows these plans, the e-commerce hosting guide explains the upgrade signs, and WooCommerce hosting lists the tiers.
What do payment gateways charge an Indian online store?
Payment gateways charge a percentage of each transaction rather than a monthly fee, and 18% GST is charged on that fee. Because it grows with revenue, it is the one cost a seller should build into product pricing from day one.
- Rates differ by method: cards, UPI, net banking and wallets can each carry a different percentage; read the gateway's current pricing page.
- Activation needs KYC: Razorpay and PayU ask for business documents, a live website with policies, and a bank account in the business name.
- COD has its own cost: courier COD charges and returned parcels replace the gateway fee on cash orders.
- Settlement timing: money reaches your account after a settlement cycle, which affects cash flow.
Provider-by-provider details are in payment gateways for Indian e-commerce sites.
Is Shopify or WooCommerce cheaper to run in India?
WooCommerce is cheaper to run: about ₹3,000 a year in hosting with no platform commission, against ₹17,988 a year for Shopify Basic plus a 2% fee on each sale when a third-party gateway is used. Shopify saves time on updates and setup; WooCommerce saves money as sales grow.
| Cost line | WooCommerce on WebJi® | Shopify Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | ₹0 (open source) | ₹1,499/month billed yearly |
| Hosting | ₹3,000/year (WordPress Unlimited) | Included |
| Platform fee per sale | ₹0 | 2% with a third-party gateway |
| Updates | Your time, or ₹5,900/year done-for-you | Included |
| Fee on ₹5,00,000 of sales | ₹0 | ₹10,000 (2% × ₹5,00,000) |
For a store doing very little volume, the difference is modest and launch speed may matter more. The feature side of the decision is in WooCommerce vs Shopify.
What does GST invoicing add to an e-commerce website's cost?
GST invoicing adds setup work rather than a licence fee: a GST-registered seller needs tax invoices with GSTIN, HSN codes, place of supply and a CGST/SGST or IGST split. On WooCommerce a free or paid invoice plugin handles it; on Shopify it is an app or tax settings.
Because the configuration touches products, tax classes and shipping states, it belongs in the build quote. WebJi® store builds include GST invoices; DIY sellers can follow GST invoices in WooCommerce.
What does it cost to keep an online store running each year?
A small WooCommerce store's fixed yearly cost at WebJi® is about ₹4,000 before GST (hosting ₹3,000 plus .in ₹1,000), or ₹9,900 with done-for-you updates; gateway fees come on top and scale with sales.
- Fixed: hosting and domain renewals.
- Optional fixed: managed updates, paid theme licence, premium plugins.
- Variable: gateway percentage plus 18% GST on it, courier and COD charges.
- Seasonal: temporary server upgrades and ad spend for sale periods.
To have a store scoped against your catalogue, send your product list; the quote comes back in INR before payment. If you are still choosing a platform, start with the best e-commerce platforms in India.
Source for third-party prices
- Shopify India pricing page (shopify.com/in/pricing): Basic ₹1,499 a month billed yearly; 2% fee on Basic when a third-party payment provider is used. Read 3 November 2026.
WebJi® figures are its published prices; checkout confirms the current amount. Third-party pages change without notice; WebJi® is not affiliated with Shopify.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I start an online store for under ₹5,000?
Yes, if you build it yourself. WordPress Unlimited hosting for a year (₹3,000) plus a .in domain (₹1,000) is ₹4,000 before GST, or ₹4,720 with it. That covers software and hosting; photos, a paid theme and your time are extra.
How long does it take to build an e-commerce website?
A DIY WooCommerce store with a ready theme can go live in a few days once products are ready. A WebJi® store build takes two to four weeks, mostly spent on catalogue setup, payment testing and shipping rules.
Does a food or grocery delivery site cost more than a normal store?
Usually yes, because it needs delivery slots, pin-code limits, order tracking and sometimes a rider or kitchen dashboard. Those features push the build towards the upper end of a quote. The food delivery website guide lists what to plan for.
Is an AI website builder enough for selling online?
For a few products and enquiry-led sales, yes. For variants, stock control, GST invoices and courier integration, WooCommerce or Shopify fit better. The AI website builder cost guide compares the two paths.
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
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